T.J. Duane and his family previously lived in the Dallas-Fort Worth area before moving to Silicon Valley. They decided to return during the pandemic, purchasing their home in Westlake before ever setting foot in it. The Duane’s felt that Westlake’s natural and architectural beauty, proximity to family, and its academically recognized Westlake Academy made living here the best choice for them.

Duane finds interest in becoming involved with the Town as much as he can. He has previously attended several Strategic Planning sessions for the Town’s economic development over the next five years and sat in interviews for the Academy’s Head of School. To him, running for Town Council meant “ensuring our children have the best education and that Westlake grows at a pace that helps us preserve the unique qualities of the Town.”

Duane’s goal as a council member is to bring balanced growth to Westlake. He hopes he can help allocate services and the necessary resources as the Town and North DFW grow in population. A few of his goals include increasing sales tax revenue in Westlake, planning infrastructure for the anticipated developments along Highway 114, and advocating for more state funding for Westlake Academy.

His experience building multiple tech companies, working in corporate law, and serving on Ivy League academic boards and committees has given him valuable knowledge to serve in this role. Duane received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University in 1999, then graduated from Harvard Law School in 2002. With a master’s in business administration (MBA) from Stanford University, T.J. created four software companies that specialize in streamlining stakeholder relationships and data management.